The driving factor for the renovation was providing flexible and modernized spaces that could support student learning through print and digital media, as well as host staff and student meetings of varying sizes, showcase student projects, and function effectively as a social hub within the school. Throughout the design process, N53 collaborated closely with numerous project stakeholders to ensure that the various programmatic goals for the space were achieved in the renovation.

To effectively manage communication with the stakeholders and convey the proposed plans for the renovation in an intuitive and approachable way, N53 created and maintained a comprehensive digital model of the renovation area. Ultimately, using this tool led to productive conversations about how the Learning Commons and Resource Centre could function together and be united with a cohesive interior finishing regime, enriching the design substantially in the process.

The project highlights N53’s strength as a design firm and ability to synthesize client and stakeholder wishes in an imaginative and cost-effective design. The successes of the renovations at W.P. Wagner lie in the input that was gained through meaningful collaboration during the design phase. It also demonstrates the ability to maintain the integrity and consistency of a design through successive cost management exercises, phasing, and different construction teams. N53 effectively responded to these project considerations and recommended adapting the execution of the work to suit the project’s changing circumstances.